PALACE OF THE POPES

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1924, Page 2

PALACE OF THE POPES

AVIGNON RESTORATION PLANS. The French .Municipality of Avignon has approved the expenditure of 25,1XK) Italics for the work of restoring the Palace of the Popes, the Ministry of Fine .Arts having offered to provide an ocuutl amount. This news calls attention to the continued progress made in the restoration of a very remarkable building, the greater part of winch dales from the period 1555-79, but which from various can —including Its use as a barrack: bad almost 10-t its place among i lie notable historical monuments ~f Europe. The restorer' are Irying n, make the building whnl il was in the time id the Popc». wiio made il their home during the I Ith century, and of the anti-Pole-, who succeeded them. The mosi important task Inis been the restoration of their noble proportion:; to many ol the principal rooms, and the uncovering of frescow-, which had been whitened over.

From 1922 until MIDI! the Palace was used as an infantry barracks, and in order to provide as much accommodation as possible many of tb- splendid lofty rooms were divided into two by the construction of a llnor halfway up the wall. In accordance with hygienic principles the walls were white washed, and a considerable number ol frescoes were thus blotted out.

Among the rooms divided into two lh>ors were the large Salle do 1' Audience and the great chapel. The richly .sculptured doorway of the chapel was for long walled up, and il is -igniticant of the vicissitudes through which the hi.titling has passed that the line staircase leading to the chapel was restored as far hack as 1059.

Beautiful frescoes, showing limiting and fishing scene.', believed to be the Work of Italian artists of the 1 Ith century, were discovered not many years ago in tile Tour do la GardeRobe. constructed by Rope Clement VI. in 1542-1:1. There are also fragments of freseoe- ill the hover chapel of the Tour St. Jean.

In the work ni restoration now being carried on, which was begun bv the architect Nodot, many m the barrack floorings have been removed, though marks of them could still b.seen on the walls a year or two ago. Not the least interesting of the discoveries in this old palace-fortress of warrior Pones is that of the many blind staircases winding in the interior of the walls—which are often 15ft thick. These staircases enabled persons to pass from one part of the building to another without being seen and made it possible to observe those who were in the rooms through apertures.